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That $200 tent I splurged on failed me at Yosemite last August - now I'm back to my old Coleman
I spent good money on a fancy ultralight tent from a popular brand after reading all the rave reviews online. Took it to Yosemite's backpackers camp last August and the first night a light drizzle came through, I woke up with water pooling inside the footprint. The zipper caught on the fly every single time I tried to close it. Meanwhile, my buddy's $80 Coleman dome tent from Target was bone dry and he set it up in half the time. I'm not saying expensive gear is always bad, but that experience really made me question all those glowing reviews. Has anyone else had a high end tent fail on them in wet weather? I'm thinking about just sticking with cheaper but proven designs from now on.
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david_rivera44mo ago
Keep the Coleman as your wet weather backup" - dude that's wild, you actually have to plan around which tent you bring based on the weather. @hayes.jake makes a good point though, fancy ultralight gear just ain't worth it when it can't handle a real storm.
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terry_lewis214mo ago
Actually @hayes.jake I think the issue is more about purpose than quality. In my experience that Coleman is heavy but bombproof for rain, whereas the ultralight stuff trades storm protection for weight savings. Your mileage may vary but I've found most fancy tents can handle storms fine if you know their limits.
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hayes.jake4mo ago
Man I feel your pain, I had a similar thing happen with a big name tent that was supposed to be bomber in the rain. Sometimes the hype just doesn't match real world use, especially with lightweight fabrics that can't handle a good soak. I'd say keep the Coleman as your wet weather backup and save the fancy gear for dry trips where the weight savings actually matter.
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